- Live
Leviticus 18:5 Ye shall therefore keep my statutes, and my judgments: which if a man do, he shall live in them: I am the Lord.
This is a conditional promise: if you keep the Commandments, then you will live. You will have a good life, a long life, a happy life, and even an eternal life. This is a general truth that applies to all people: those who keep God’s Law will be blessed in life and living on earth. The principle of cause and effect is in play for all created humans, whether they are believers or unbelievers. The degree to which anyone follows the principles of God’s Moral Law he will have a good life on earth. He will live. And the degree to which any person disobeys, murders, commits adultery, steals, lies or covets, etc., he will not have a good life on earth. The curses come into effect when we do not keep the Law; it is not simply a punishment (“God will get you for that”), but it is the consequence of bad behavior in thought, word and deed. Sin diminishes the full enjoyment of life. Write it down; take it to the bank. Living well, fully, richly, happily, and productively corresponds directly to keeping His statutes and judgments.
This truth leaves us in despair, of course, because we cannot stop sinning and breaking God’s Law in thought, word, and deed. We know we do not keep the Law as well as we want to. “The good that I would, I do not, etc.” Therefore, the NT quotes the OT and promises this: “The righteous shall live by faith [Romans 1:17].” Faith in the Gospel brings the power of salvation; and faith gives the perfect keeping of the Law that Jesus lived: His life was righteous. Jesus earns for us the righteousness of God. By repentance and faith we may, and we do, meet the condition of “keeping.” Therefore, we shall live; we will live better and live eternally. We love God’s life in us so much we do not want to let a day or a week go by without repenting and believing. We receive and welcome Jesus into our lives again and again. Then we live. We keep the fire of the Spirit of Life burning brightly when we receive forgiveness regularly. We live according to the Law, for it is a beautiful gift meant for our positive benefit: We Live!